Multi-compartmented food packages, including serving trays and cartons, are known in the art. These trays and cartons are used to receive and carry food in fast food restaurants, at sporting events, merchandising shows, and the like. The trays and cartons may be designed to hold the food while it is being consumed, and typically have a series of openings or compartments for holding different food items and/or beverages. Some prior art trays and cartons are constructed so that they can be shipped and stored in a flattened condition, and then opened into an expanded and operative condition by store personnel for receiving the food items. These cartons or trays also may be provided with a lid.
Many conventional serving trays and cartons are constructed of paperboard that is folded and glued to form the tray or carton. Some of these are cut from a single blank of paperboard material that is scored, folded and glued to form the tray or carton, and others comprise multiple parts that are assembled together.
Prior art serving trays and food cartons either are relatively complicated and expensive to make, or are difficult to open into an expanded and operative condition, or do not reliably remain in the expanded and operative condition.
Moreover, conventional serving trays or food cartons serve the single function of holding food and beverage. They are devoid of graphics or interactive components that can attract and hold a child's interest, although some do have material printed on them to identify the store in which the tray or carton is used, or other indicia primarily serving an advertising function.
Conventional serving trays or food cartons that are shipped and stored flat and then opened into an expanded and operative condition by store personnel should be inexpensive to make and easy to manipulate. Further, they should be durable and reliable in use, that is, they should remain in the expanded and operative condition after they have been set up by store personnel. Moreover, it would be desirable to have a food package that embodies elements which serve a function other than to hold or contain food, i.e., an interactive component which can entertain and hold a child's interest.